Sheet pack opener



March l5, 1932. Q; F- PEEK ET AL 1,849,883

.SHEET PACK OPENER Filed July 19, 1928 3 sheets-sheet l Allorney March l5, 1932.4 C. PEEKET AL 1,849,883

SHEET PACK OPENER Filed July 19, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorney March 15, 1932. c. F. PEEK ET AL SHEET PACK OPENER FledAJuly 19, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 @V1 www Patented Mar. 15, 1932 UNITED stares PMI-:Nr oFFicl:

CLIFFORD F. FFFK, F oHnsTnRroN, AND cHARLFs A. Bann, oF VALPARAISO, INDIANA SHEET Feen OFFNFF Application filed .Tuly 19, 1928. Serial No. 293,840. s

Our invention relates to improvements in sheet pack openers and it more especially consist-s ofthe features pointed out in the anneXed claims.

The purpose of our invention is to provide an automatic machine for opening sheet packs; that seperates adhering sheets as they come from the. last pass, without manual i`ntervention; that repeatedly corrugates the sheets of a pack cross-wise of the traverse of the pack one corrugation at a time; that immediately reverses the corrugations; that utiliZes a` plurality of corrugating rolls all of which are grooved lengthwise and are rotated in unison at the same speed; that succeeding corrugating rollers by acting only on a single corrugation at the same time prevents distortion and pull or stretch on the metal of the corrugation immediately following; that uses a pair of feed rolls the lower one only being driven; that uses a pair of fiattening rolls, the upper one of larger diameter than the lower one and the latter one only being ndriven; that provides vertical adjustments,

' simultaneously operated, for the corrugating rolls, that provides a unitary drive which is attached to the opener by universalcouplings for each of the positively driven rollers; and that subjects the undriven feed and flatten- 0 ing rolls to spring tension and adjustments independently of each other and the corrugating rolls. With these and other objects inV view we illustrate in the accompanying drawings such instances of adaptation as will disclose the broad underlying features of our invention without limiting ourselves to the specific de tails shown thereon and described herein.

Figure 1 -is a diagrammatic elevation of o the interrelated rolls. The teeth of the corrugated rolls being shown for a part of the circumference by conventional pitch lines.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic front elevation of a single unit'drive.

c F 3 is a diagrammatic side viewI of Fig. 2.

v Fig 4 is a diagrammatic top plan view of Fig. 2. Y

Fig. 5 vis a diagrammatic top plan view of a double unit drive. Y

Fig. Gis a side elevation of the roll housing and driving connection.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of Fig. 6.

F ig'. 8 is a top plan viewof' Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged diagrarnmatic elee5 vation showing incoming and outgoing packs in relation to two sets ofcorrugating rolls.

`In practically carrying out our invention we may use whatever alternatives of A'construction that the eXigencies of variable servs ice conditionsmay require without departing from the broad spirit of our invention as set out in a copending application Serial No. 37,421, filed on June 16, 1925.-

In this instance, exemplified in the accom- 6a panying drawings, a pair of housings is used between which a pair of feeding, four pairs of corrugating, and one pair of attening rolls Y are placed. These rolls are driven by a single unit or double unit drive; Of the feed rolls the lower one is shown as being driven and of the flattening rolls the lower one is also driven.V All the corrugating rolls are driven in unison and in interdependence with each other so that the pack on passing from onep'air of corrugating rolls t0 a succeeding pair will travel lineally at the same speed as the angular velocity of the rolls at the point oftheir engagement with the pack. These sets of corrugating rolls are so spaced, pair to pair, that the rest of the entering corrugations of a pack 'formed' transverse of its direction of travel will register with a pair of reversing corrugations of the next pair of rolls toward which the pack is advancing so that each corrugation of the pack, formed one by one, will be successively reversed, one b-y one at the same periodicit f The reversal of thef corrugations may be carried out one or more times before they are 90 finally flattened. In the drawings four pairs of corrugating rolls are instanced which will give three reversals. It is these reversals, following each other immediately that cause the individualsheets of a pack to slide at a differential rate in respect ofeach other which action separates them without recourse to manual operation of any kind whatever. Fig. 9 shows an Varbitrary thickness of a pack. This varies with the number of sheets in a pack and the gaugeof each sheet. In practice a No. 16 gauge sheet is 1/16 thick, a No. 22 gauge is 1/32 and a No. 28 gauge is 1/64 thick. The whole thickness of a-pack becomes a multiple of the kind of sheets that areV rolled together. To compensate for this variation all the upper corrugating rolls are adjusted simultaneously in respect of their companion lower rolls and tothe same extent.

The driving of the corrugating rolls is simplified to take. careV of their adjustments by a separate driving unit which is placed between the motor and the opener. Itis con,V nected to the latter by means of universal cou-y plings, one for each drivenV roll. These couplings may be of any desired form-ortype that will cooperate most effectively in maintaining the rotation of theldiiferent'roll's. As

universal couplings or gimbals have become so well known since their discovery by Dr. Hookein 1600 they are not shown in detail.

The exemplification of one form of our invention may be described as follows: A pair v of feed rolls land 2 are placed above each other as shown in Fig. 1. The lower roll 1 has extensions 5() which rotate in bearing blocks 23 and the upper one has similar extensions which rotate in bearing blocks 9. As already stated the lower one is driven but if desired bothV may be actuated.V The upper roll is adjusted by screws 18 and springs 19 may be placed between the screws 18 and the bearing blocks 9 to compensate for slight variations in thickness of succeeding packs.

Each one of the upper corrugating rolls 3,r

4, 5 and 6 are positively adjusted by means of screws 21 and 22. Rolls 3 and 5 by left hand screws 22 and rolls 4 and 6 by right hand yscrews 21. These screws all bear against upper bearing blocks 9v in which extensions of the rolls rotate and each bottom roller also has similar extensions which rotate in the lower bearing blocks 23. The flattening rolls 7 and 8 may be of different diameters, the upper one 8 being larger in 0rder to secure added weight, and the lower one only is driven in the instance shown and it may have an increase in diameter over that of the feed rolls so yas to accelerate the trav-` erse of the pack as the corrugations are being flattened andthe pack restored to its original length. Both of the flattening rolls also have extensions'() which4 rotate in bearing blocks 9'and 23. The upper roll 8 is i adjusted by screws 20 which engage springs 21 placed between lthem and the upper bearingblocks 9, serving a similar purpose to the springs 19of thefeed rollers.

In the driving unit 31 gears 34V are con- .i' nected to theV upper rollers 3,14, 5, and 6 by means of universal couplings 32fto extensions 5() andthe lower duplicate rollers 3, 4, 5, and 6 are likewise driven by duplicate gears 3 4 which mesh` with thergears 34 for the upper rolls. The lower gears arealso conpositioned outside of the driving unit 31.

The gear 38 may mesh with a pinion 41 on an intermediate shaft 39. A spur gear 40 isattached to the shaft 39 and it meshes with a pinion 43 on the armature shaft of the motor 42 which may be supported on a suitable base independently of the unit drive 31 and bean ings for the shafts of gears 38, 40,'and 41 may also be placed on the motor support;v

I The simultaneous adjustment of the upper rolls 3', 4, 5, and 6 is simply effected by means of the screws 21 and 22 which at their upper ends have intermeshing gears 2.4. 'lhese gears are all actuated by a hand wheel 28 connected to a transverse shaft 27 supported in bearings 28 located on each one of the upper members 13 of the sidevhousings or frames'lO. 0n this shaft 27 4two worms shown on Fig. 7 are secured and these mesh with worm gears 25 attached to the screws 22 of corrugated rollers 5. As the hand wheel 12. Feet' 14 are formed on the under side of 12. These feet rest on guide rails 15 to which they are secured by bolts. 16. The sides 10 are held spaced apart by suitable distancing tubes through which tieV rods 29 pass and they are held by nuts on theoutside ofthe frames 10. The bearing blocks 9 are held in lateral alignment as they are adj usted vertically by means of rods 30.which engage vertical grooves formed in adjacent faces of the blocks 9. Y- i' Packs 49 yare passed into the opener over feed table 46 into engagement with the feed rolls'l and 2 which rolls deliver it to the first pair of corrugating rolls 3 where the rounded teeth 44 form depressions in the pack ,oppo

' site Vgrooves 45 of the companion rolls, gradas it approaches each set. If desired guides 48 may be placed between any two sets of rolls l and 3, 3 and 4, 4 and 5, 5 and 6, and 6 and 7, or simply between rolls 3 and 4 and rolls 4 and 5. As the flattened and lengthened pack passes from between the flattening rolls 7 and 8 it is delivered over the table 47.

Microphotographs of portions of packs which have been separated or opened by means of transverse corrugations immediately followed by a reversal of the corrugations and after being annealed show that the structure of the separated sheets has not been damaged.

In case it is found desirable to drive all the rolls 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 from both ends, a duplicate driving unit 3l may be placed on each side of the opener, in which case the shaft 39 is extended across the opener as shown in Fig. 5 and another pair of gears 38 and 4l connected to shaft 37 of the second drive unit 3l. This drive is then also connected to roller extensions 50 by universal couplings 32 as in the case of a single driving unit being used as shown in Fig. 4.

The immediate reversal of the'corrugations i of the pack is dependent on a unique relation of the cooperating parts of a pair of rolls. From Fig. 9 it will be seen that the initial corrugation formed by rolls 3 depends on two adjacent teeth of the upper roll serving as a pair of anvils, separated by a groove into which the single tooth of the lower roll presses the pack. In the second set of rolls, a pair of anvils or teeth 44 are on the under side of the pack causing it to traverse between these rolls on a slightly different plane from that in the first pair of rolls 3. As the pack enters between rolls 5 from rolls 4 it is again slightly elevated and at rolls 6 it is subsequently slightly lowered. This relation of parts is due to the fact that the chord of contact of the pair of teeth or anvils with the pack in one case is on the upper surface of the pack and in the immediately following case this chord o-f contact is on the under side of the pack. The difference in the two planes is approximately the same as the thickness of the pack. Dotted lines U and L on Fig. 9 show this relation wherein the points of contact of upper roll 3 are indicated at 3a and those of lower roll 4 are indicated at 4a. In this figure hypothetical unreversed corrugations of the pack 49 are shown by dotted lines adjacent rolls 4.

It is of course immaterial whether the initial adjustment of adjacent pairs of rolls compensates for this charge in plane of tooth contacts so as to permit the pack to pass through all the rolls on a median plane or whether it is alternately positioned on successively different planes from one set of rolls to an adjacent set. The entire province of the reversals is to cause the sheets to slip in one direction and then to immediately slip in a reverse direction, in respect .of the contact surfaces of the individual sheets ofthe pack,

the uppercorrugated rolls to the same eX- 'tent 2. In sheet pack openers, an opener unit comprisinga pair of suitable frames, ka plurality of upper and Vlower bearings in veach frame, a plurality of feed flattening and corrugated rolls rotatable in the-bearings, means for limiting the upward movement of the upper bearings of the feed and iiattening rolls independently of each other, and separate means for limiting the. upward movementlof the bearings at both ends of the upper corrugated rollers simultaneously `and to the same extent. i j j V3. In sheet pack openers, an opener unit comprising a pair of feed' rolls, a pair of flattening rolls, several pairs of .rolls having lengthwise corrugations, formed thereon, a pair of side frames, bearings in such `frames for all the rolls, a motor, unitary driving unit between the motor and a side frame, driving connections from the motor through theunit to the rolls, separate universal conections from the driving unitto the rolls whereby the position of one half of the corrugated rolls can be changed inj respect of the other half while heingdriven by the unit, and mea-ns for interconnecting the several rolls with the driver so that all the corrugated rolls will rotate in unison. j Y

4. A. sheet pack opener ycomprising a plurality of pairs of lengthwisecorrugated rolls in excess of two pairs, held for rotationV in adjacent spaced apart relation, means for adjusting the position of both ends of one half of such rolls,.in respect of the other half simultaneously, a separate pair of feed rolls, a separate pair of flattening rolls, means for rotating the different lower corrugated rolls in unison` without. changing their unitary driven relation, and means for only driving the lower feed and the lower flattening rolls. j j j 5. A sheet packopener comprising a pair of rolls corrugated lengthwise thereof, another pair of lrolls similarly corrugated, the teeth of one roll of each pair registering with the space between adjacent teeth of the other roll, other pairs of rolls corrugated in like manner, means for rotatingfall the rolls in unison, means for so Connecting the rolls to the actuating means that the median tooth positiony of succeeding pairs' of rolls is alternately reversed, thereby causing the'teeth n of aisucceeding ypair ofirrolls to depress the raised portion vformed by the pair of rolls immediately preceding. v

6;-In sheet; pack openers, a plurality' of pairs of corrugated rolls, means for feeding aisheet pack Ato'- a pair of corrugated rolls whereby the length of the pack is shortened through Ythel formation of transverse corrugations inthe pack, means for continuing the traverse of the pack from one set of rolls to another whereby the previously formed corrugations are immediately reversed, thereby causing the sheets composing a pack to slide in -respect of eachother, means for lengthening the shortened pack to remove-the corrugations, means for simultaneously: adjusting the'distance between the rolls of each pair simultaneously in accordance with the thickness of the pack and meansfor driving all the rolls in* unison. Y

7. In sheet pack openers a pairs of interactuated rolls corrugated lengthwise thereof, a pair of smooth feed rolls, and a pair of smooth flattening rolls the upper one being of larger diameter than its lower driven roll, the relation of all the'rolls being such vthat the sheet pack which isV to' be opened first passes between the feed rolls then successively between the pairs of corrugated rolls and finally between the flattening rolls.

8. In sheet'pack openers, a plurality of pairs of upper and lower interactuated rolls corrugated lengthwise thereof, a pair of feed rolls, a pair of flattening rolls, a single driving unit for actuating the rolls simultaneously, and a separate motor unit connected to the driving unit, the position of the rolls and their relation of operation being such that a sheet pack first Vpasses between the feed rolls then between pairs of corrugated rolls, and lastly between rolls for flattening the corrugations.

9. In sheet pack openers, a pair of feed rolls, a pair of delivery rolls, al plurality of pairs of rolls corrugated lengthwise thereof positioned between the feed and delivery rolls, positive means for simultaneously adjusting both ends of all of the the upper corrugated rolls, separate adjusting means for the upper feed and the upper delivery rolls, and elastic means interposed in the adjusting means for the latter rolls, which arrangement of parts servesto receive a sheet pack between the feed rolls, pass it between pairs of corrugated rolls and finally pass the pack between flattening rolls for delivery from the opener.

VIn testimony whereof we aiiX our signatures.

CLIFFORD F. PEEK.y CHARLES A. BALL.

Aplurality of 

